There are many ways to make Colombian Beans. This is my grandmother's recipe and one of my favorite dishes. Serve this beans dish with white rice, plantain and avocado on the side.
Frijoles Paisas o Antioqueños is a common dish from the Antioquia region. I’ve eaten it all of my life and it is definitely one of my favorite dishes. Few meals are as truly Colombian as this. We serve it over rice or as part of our famous Colombian dish “Bandeja Paisa” which is a huge meal including, paisa pinto beans, white rice, ripe plantain, Colombian chorizo, avocado, chicharron (pork fritters), ground beef and fried egg.
To make Colombian Style Beans in the United States you can use pinto or cranberry beans. In Colombia we use frijoles cargamanto.
Colombian-Style Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberry or pinto beans
- 1 pound pork hocks
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ green plantain, cut into ¼- inch
Guiso:
- 1 tablespoon chopped onions
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Directions for Pot:
- Soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a large pot and add the water and pork hocks. Over medium-high heat, bring the beans to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the beans to cook until almost tender, approximately 2 hours.
- When the beans are cooking, prepare the guiso. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, add the tomatoes, onions, scallions, salt, garlic, cilantro and ground cumin and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- When the beans are almost tender, add the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt. Cover and cook for another hour or until the beans are fully cooked. (Add additional water as necessary).
- Directions for Slow Cooker:
- Use the same ingredients except use just 4 cups water instead of 6.
- Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a slow cooker, add 4 cups water and pork hocks and cook on high for about 2 hours.
- Follow step 2 in the regular pot recipe.
- Add the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt then cover and cook for another 3 hours. Taste for salt and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
These Frijoles Colombianos are served in most casual Colombian restaurants around the world. If you are on a diet, this is the best reason to break it. In this post, I included directions to make the recipe in a regular pot or in a slow cooker. Be sure to place the dried beans in water overnight to make them softer.
Beans recipes you must try:
Margaret
Hi Erica, Love all your recipes. I have a question how do you cook the frijoles on a pressure cooker?
Erica
Hi Margaret,
Place all the ingredients in the pressure Cooker,except the plantains and cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Release the steam, following the manufacturer's directions. Add the plantains, simmer them with the lid off until tender.
Maribel
I made mine in th pressure cooker today. Came out delicious!! The plantains simmered with the lid off at the end for about 10mins. I personally add the cilantro and scallions separate from the guiso. My grandmother taught me to mix them with some vinegar,fresh lime juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce. This makes for a garnish that I use for the beans when serving.
Sonia Paz
Are we still soaking the beans over night when using a pressure cooker?
Erica Dinho
Yes
Ruth
Yes, you are writing for the States, we have pressure
Cookers
Marissa
How can I cook beans Colombian style on a crock pot?
Erica Dinho
yes
Susan Cuellar
Thank you, Erica. My hubby found them on the IT for me. It has been about a year since I've made them, couldn't find my brief notes. He is Colombian, living here in Australia for some 52 yrs. We have travelled to Colombia 4 times spending 3 months at a time. We have had Bandeja Paisa many times as well as other typical dishes. Only thing we do differently is the plantains. Cut in chunks and flattened, then fried. So very yummy. Thanks for your clear directions. We are having a belated Colombian Independence Day meal with family and my son's God parents. He is from Bogota and she is from Medellin.. I actually forgot about the Giso. I have to do that before lunch
Thanks again. Susan
Sandra
Hi Erica, I am from Medellin and been in the US for some time. My family loves this dish but I cannot find the beans like the ones from home. Most pinto beans are too small and don't have the same flavor. Any suggestions? Also, would love to find chicharron to cook but can't find it either. Thanks in advance!
Erica
Sandra- I buy frijoles cargamanto or pinto beans and tocino in a Latin supermarket. You can find tocino in Asian markets too.
Sara Meira
Hola Erica,
I love this blog! I'm so glad i found it. I'm colombian jewess married with a jewish American guy and he loves everything I've made from this blog. We live in NYC, Brooklyn, and my question is, where in NYC we're most prone to get colombian ingredients like guascas, guanabanas, raw ingredients to make our colombian recipes? Someone mentioned queens and if so, any particular store or supermarket?
Erica Dinho
Hola Sara,
I don't live in NY, but maybe one of my readers can help you. You can look at Latin markets in NY.
Yolanda
Hola, Sara
Mi carniceria favorita es Carniceria Las Americas..en la 45-52 46 Street Woodside, NY ..No es solo carniceria tambien tienen otros productos Latinos.
Suerte,
Yolanda
teresa
Any where in jackson heights queens...that where the Colombians are most. Enjoy...7 train junction blvd
Nancy
Yo compro los frijoles Cargamanto rojos o pintos en supermercados gringos y latinos.busca en la sección de los frijoles. Normalmente tienes que mirar muy bien ,siempre tienen pocas bolsas,son más caros ....
Vivo en Tampa, Fl.
John C Pradlik
Can I make the beans the day before and eat them back up?
Anonymous
Queens on 82nd st of 7 train stop most of the supermarket around there carry colombian ingredient .
Anonymous
Ahora hay muchos supermercados en usa aquí en Virginia se consigue de todo !
A
We found our on Amazon!
Margie
Hiii. Try buying chicharon at aisan markets or dominican places
Tim
This dish was perfect!!!! I made it for my Colombian wife and she loved it. Thank you very much for sharing all these fantastic Colombian dishes.
Paula
First time I find a recepie as close as my mom makes it back home.
Can't wait to make it.
Great, reliable source 🙂
john
Erica.thanks for the recipes.I found frijoles cargamanto at publixs thanks again.john
Anonymous
I made these beans and they were wonderful! They taste like home(Colombia). Great beans. Thank you!
Maria
These beans are like my mom's. I was missing all these dishes. Colombian food is the best. They were perfect and I am going to make them again!
Jenn
Hi! I've been trying to find a good recipe for white rice and beans but I'm not sure which beans to get. Do I need to buy dry beans or canned? and which is better if it doesn't matter?
Erica
Jenn- I prefer dried beans!!!
Cam
Hi Erica!
I attempted to make the beans but they didn't turn out. They were almost like a stew and not watery like they were supposed to be. Are you supposed to cut the pork hocks and eat them as part of the dish? If not, at what point do you disgard them from the dish? I found that they made a foam in the liquid...are you supposed to scoop that out? Do you drain the liquid from the beans before adding the guiso? I would like to try the recipe again because it smells good but didn't look very appetizing like your picture!
Margarita
What other meats can I substitute the hocks for?thank u!ncant wait to make these for my Colombian hottie!n
Maribel
I used pork belly. You could also sub out with bacon too.
Andy
Excellent recipe. As good as the real stuff from las abuelas!!
I made a few modifications:
1. I replaced meat with a previously browned (on skillet a few min each side) sweet italian sausage (nothing else in my fridge).
2. Didn't soak them overnight (I didn't have time for it)
3. Blended the guiso ingredients (I am admit it, got lazy on this one) and cooked as directed. Flavor is the same, consistency a little different.
4. I used slow cooker and without pre-soaking. I added 4 cups of water to a pound of washed beans (no pinto beans, only had small red beans), added the guiso once done, and put it down for 7 hours on high.
5. Skipped the carrot and plaintain (I didn't have any).
Even with mods above for reasons above :), it turn out great!!! Please, do keep putting in slow cooker options.
Javier
Andy, It seems to me you are a great enthusiast and you enjoyed trying this recipe. I encourage you to look for all the ingredients in the original recipe and you will be even more delighted: Plantains and carrots make a mild kick to it and the big cargamanto beans make a big difference in texture and appearance. I always pre-soak the cargamantos as it make the beans softer in texture, bigger in size and they absorb the flavor deeper, just make sure you have double or triple the water then the beans as they absorb a lot. I can assure you will enjoy looking for the ingredients the day before, soaking the beans (my children love to see them before and after the soak) and then cooking them next day, as the process is very rewarding and the anticipation of everything is fantastic for the rest of your family or friends. My wife is american, my children were born in Switzerland and they all go crazy buying the ingredients with me the day before and around the kitchen when I am checking on the ingredients for any ANY colombia recipe like this or Cazuela de Camarones, Arroz con Coco or Ajiaco. Enjoy...!
Ed
Talk about comfort food and easy to make. Love this recipe.
Nicole
Planning on getting dried beans but I already have cans of beans to use up that are unseasoned and have no additives other than some sea salt as a preservative. What are your suggestions on altering for that as far as amount used and ammount of spices, changes in cooking time, etc? Thank you!
maritza
Cargamantos are called cranberry beans and you can find them at any gourtmet store like William sonoma or any other supermarket.
Donald case
great dishes my wife is from Cali Colombia,I cook these for her and she loves them
Ed
We found those beans in Walmart.
Sindy
Theses Friojles came out great. I did need to add a little more salt and I had some trigisal so I added a little of that as well. Once served I added some Aji picante to it and it brought the dish together.
Adriana
Great authentic Colombian flavor. Be sure to shred meat from ham hock into the beans. Have grated panela (natural brown sugar) to go with chicharron, fried sweet plantains ad avocado.
Beware cooking times. I cooked mine for only 1 1/2 hours on the stove and they were close to mushy. I checked instructions on a Goya bag and they call for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
I got cranberry beans at an Amish store in Blue Ridge, Ga. Then found Goya brand Cargamentos , 2 types, light and dark red at Buford Farmers Market in Atlanta.
Jasmine
What can you use instead of pork ?
Erica Dinho
Beef or just beef or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
Coreen
I made this recipe and it was so delicious!Gorgeous blog! So very beautifully done. The photos are so inspirational, plan to try out each of your recipes...thank you for sharing!
Velva
Erica, this looks delicious! Love, love a good bowl of beans.
Monty Council
This is my second time using this recipe. The first time the beans came out delicious and I got great reviews. This time, I am waiting to here from my biggest critic...The Colombian mother in law.
Andy
These were amazing. Just like my mother makes them only I didn't have the recipe. She's still alive but back in Colombia, and I'm not. Thank you!
Francheska
My mom is colombian and let me tell you she throws down in the kitchen... basically everything i make she somehow makes it better! Last year i took my husband to Colombia and he fell in love with the bandeja paisa so we come home and i decide to make it for the whole fam. I came across your recipe and to this day my mom does not stop talking about the frijoles! We're making it again for my anniversary tomorrow but im only allowed to do the frijoles! lol THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! i finally have one up on my mom!
Robin Green
I went looking for interesting beans in Kensington Market in Toronto, and found cargamiento and bolas rojas at a Latin American grocery store. Since I had no idea what to do with them I searched and found your recipe. I used it as a very rough guide (which is how I generally relate to recipes) to make a pretty good stew with bolas rojas, green plantain, tomatoes, leeks (it's what I had in the fridge!), peppers and cilantro. For the bolas rojas I soaked for about 20 hours, then cooked in an instapot pressure cooker for 25 minutes at 15 lbs pressure, which was probably too long (next time I'll try 20 minutes). Never been to Colombia but really enjoyed this dish, which granted is a rather loose interpretation of what you provided. Thanks!
Marisa
Came across your recipe a couple months ago.. made it for the first time.
Delicious! Reminds me of the authentic dish I enjoyed in Colombia over a decade ago. My daughter is half Colombian on her fathers side I, am Italian and reside in Toronto, Canada.
Really wanted to keep my daughters heritage by making her Colombian dishes.
This recipe was so successful that, I plan on making it for my Italian family to enjoy.
Thanks a bunch
Carlos
Hola! Una pregunta. Has preparado los frijoles en un instant pot? Que indicaciones tienes si lo has hecho?
Colin de Saldanha
Hi Erica,
Made this on Sunday in a somewhat chilly Johannesburg, South Africa and got what I believe to be the ultimate compliment from one of my daughters - "tastes like love in a bowl". Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Regards,
Colin